The American EV giant has been trying to enter the Indian market for a few years now
The Tesla Model 3 was recently spied in what looks like a parking lot somewhere in Pune. We know that Tesla’s history with India has been quite unpredictable. Elon Musk has publicly shown interest in commencing operations in India. In fact, he has met with many government officials, including PM Modi. However, he has also openly shown concerns regarding the high import tariffs in India. Interestingly, after the last tweak to the EV policy, the Indian government has demonstrated its willingness to attract foreign carmakers.
Tesla Model 3 Spied in Pune
Going by the visuals, it is clear that the EVs are located in a basement of a dedicated parking lot. They are available in multiple colours. What is interesting is the fact that they are not wearing any camouflage. We are able to experience the aerodynamic body of the EVs. At the front, it gets swept back LED headlamps along with a smooth and flowing bonnet. Being an EV, there is no grille, but a sealed-off section with aero intakes on the edges of the bumper. On the sides, we see aero alloy wheels along with flush-fitting door handles and a sloping roofline. Finally, the tail end consists of LED taillamps along with a boot-mounted spoiler.
Tesla in India
As per the last reports, Tesla was getting ready to start its operations in Mumbai and Delhi. It had also planned to open an office in Bangalore. Tesla’s website and LinkedIn page showed 13 job openings for its Mumbai showroom. These jobs included Inside Sales Advisor, Customer Support Supervisor, Customer Support Specialist, Service Advisor, Order Operations Specialist, Service Manager, Tesla Advisor, Parts Advisor, Business Operations Analyst, Store Manager, and Service Technician.
This was happening after the Indian government announced a new policy for electric vehicles. According to the policy, companies that invest at least $500 million (Rs 4,150 crore) in India will pay lower import duties. The import duty drops from 110% to 70% on vehicles that cost more than $40,000 (about Rs 35 lakhs). This policy aims to help grow the local economy and create employment. Local manufacturing will make Tesla’s cars more affordable. This is a good opportunity for both the country and Tesla. It can bring new jobs, new skills, and new technology. We will watch for more details in the future.
Also Read: Donald Trump Promotes Tesla Cars in White House
